Professor Swan
by Mademoiselle-Carl
Summary: Bella was changed, but not by Edward. A mistake, a misunderstood situation, resulted in their separation for 25 long years. What happens when Edward unknowingly enrolls in a college course taught by none other than Professor Bella Swan? BxE. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_(A/N) Thanks everyone for reading! I haven't written anything in a long while, so don't be too hard when writing your reviews. On the subject of reviews though, **I NEED THEM.** Flames or compliments, anything goes! Thanks. :)_

_So this is just the beginning of a fic that I'm hoping will be a good 10 or 15 chapters. The idea just hit me and I went with it. The words just started flowing out, and here we are. _

_Don't worry, it starts off pretty bad but things between Edward and Bella will hopefully get better. I love me some happy endings!_

_I'll try to update every day or two, and avoid any major cliff-hangers. This first chapter, and probably the next few, are from Bella's point of view._

**Disclaimer: This will apply to this chapter and any that may or may not follow. I do not own these characters, Stephenie Meyer does, I just make them do stuff. I'm not making any money off this, but if I do, I'll make sure to send a cut to Stephenie. I won't make any money.**

_Happy reading, and remember to review!_

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BPOV**

I sighed and ran my cold hands through my hair as I paced around my apartment. For hours I had been making efforts to calm myself with no luck; I had even tried yoga for heaven's sake!

Tomorrow was going to be a big day, incredibly huge, undeniably and almost inconceivably important to the rest of my life.

Alright, I admit, I am exaggerating a little bit, but the amount of needless hyperventilating I was doing at the time shows you just how much I was freaking out about the next day.

And it was true that what I was going to do was extremely important; I was starting my new job as the professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Alaska. Definitely huge.

I'd had a tough time convincing the board that I was in fact of an appropriate age to teach a class full of young humans. Even with the make-up technique I'd developed over the years, I still looked younger than most of my potential students. But in the end, my resume had won them over; I'd endured years of schooling, enough to make those stuffy birds completely disregard how young I looked. It was a good thing too, because if they'd taken the time to analyze my resume and my appearance, they'd have noticed that it was most definitely impossible for someone my age to have gone through that amount of education.

And I hadn't even told them about my degrees in medicine, law, and a bit of psychology on the side. I'd had a lot of time to explore areas of possible interest. But, in the end, those beautiful words of ancient writers won me over, and I decided to pursue my passion for the literary arts to the fullest extent.

And now, for some god-awful reason, I was going to teach the subject that I loved to college students! Me, clumsy Bella, was going to stand up and lecture an entire hall full of students that were technically older than me. Knowing me, I'd trip flat on my face before five minutes had gone by.

Well, that's not really true either; I hadn't tripped in years, decades even. Yes, that sounds about right. I had been changed twenty-five years ago, and with the loss of my humanity went my clumsiness.

Now this is one of the worst parts of being a vampire; there is ability to sleep and escape your thoughts. They just sit and fester and plague your brain until you want to scream. Of course I don't though, because that would scare the humans living in my apartment building.

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With thoughts of my change came thoughts of how my change occurred. It was not done by _hi__m_, and it was not the experience I had been dreaming of.

Nothing went as planned. I know now that it was because he no longer loved me. He asked me to marry him, I agreed. I asked him to change me, he agreed. But he left me, deserted me, and his family! They left too, without so much as a goodbye.

He'd told me that they were going hunting. I foolishly believed him. He left, with all the family. I didn't think that this was odd, because it was a few days before the wedding was supposed to happen. I assumed that they wanted to make sure nothing went wrong, like an unplanned attack on the humans that were invited to attend the ceremony.

I was bored in my room without him to talk to, so I decided to go for a walk. Charlie was gone on a fishing trip. I remember laughing as I said goodbye just before he left.

"Are you going to give me some fish as a wedding present?" I asked, still giggling.

"Well, you'll just have to wait, won't you?" Charlie laughed too, and then kissed me on the forehead. "Goodbye Bella, I love you." Even though he wasn't one for much 'mushy' stuff, as he liked to say, he was still getting a little more emotional as the wedding loomed closer.

"Love you too, Pops," I smiled, and with that, he was gone.

That was the last time I saw him. I'm glad things ended on a happy note.

I packed a sandwich for myself and headed off for my walk. The forest seemed like a good place to start. I wanted to absorb as much of Forks as I could before the wedding. August 13th, my last day in the town I had grown to adore.

Even so, I was ecstatic. I was going to become as eternal as he was in just a few short days. Of course, I would miss my family, but I would be gaining a new family; his family.

The forest smelled clean and fresh. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves and landed on the forest floor, a maze of light and dark, real and imaginary foot paths.

I was so entranced by this effect of nature that I didn't notice a figure creep up behind me. On second thought, even with the most diligent observance I probably wouldn't have seen her. Vampires are very stealth that way.

My first, and obvious, sign that I was not alone was a cool touch on the back of my neck.

Foolishly, I mock-screamed. Don't blame me though; I thought it was him, come back from hunting to surprise me.

But she spoke, in a silky lilt, and I knew in that instant that my life was soon to be over.

"Mmm... you do smell nice, don't you Bella?"

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**(A/N) Hey. Review.**


	2. Chapter 2

_That was a bit of a cliff-hanger, wasn't it? I'm sorry... only not really. Please read and review :)_

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**BPOV**

The drive to the university campus was uneventful. I had left my apartment ridiculously early in an effort to avoid traffic.

As it turns out, no one drives around at 4 o'clock in the morning.

Likewise, no one shows up for school or work at 4 o'clock in the morning.

And really, the excuse of avoiding traffic was really just a reason for me to leave the apartment. After I started thinking about my past, all those years ago, I couldn't handle being in such a confined space.

So I sat in my car, in the frozen parking lot by the Faculty of Business building. I kept the windows open; the frigid temperatures no longer bothered me. I gazed out at the concrete buildings that were to become my new workplace.

Examining them, I noticed a wall almost completely covered in graffiti. A splash of green here, some curling script there. It wasn't until closer inspection that I recognized it; her signature, her 'tag', as they say.

Once more, I succumbed to the onslaught of memories. I learned long ago that it was better to just let the flood wash over me than to try to swim away.

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It was the worst pain I had ever experienced. She bit me quickly but repeatedly, and with a final, deep, bite, she began to suck the life from my body.

She was too quick for me to even protest. She had barely spoken when I felt the piercing pain in my neck. My first thoughts were of him, and as I became more and more light-headed, I felt absolutely terrified. Not for me, no, but for him. He would be heart-broken if he came home and discovered that I wasn't waiting for him, or so I thought.

I was drifting in and out of consciousness when I felt her snap her head up from my neck.

"Shit! They were supposed to be gone for two more days!" She hissed, quietly.

The next thing I barely knew, we were moving, fast, whipping past trees, deeper into the woods. It took only seconds for the fire to start burning from within me. I began screaming, I think, because soon her hand was clamped over my mouth with an iron grip.

All I could do was whimper pathetically.

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I think by running she hoped to move us to a place where she could finish me off in peace. I still don't know why she relinquished my neck that day in the woods behind Charlie's house, but I count it as a blessing.

By the time we stopped, in a cave somewhere near the border to Canada, it was too late. I was already too far past the point of salvation, in her opinion. My blood was of no more use to her.

She left me in the cave, but not before I caught a glimpse of her face through the burning haze.

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For the first two days, I writhed in complete agony. I forgot my name, who, where, and what I was. I forgot everything but the pain, as all-encompassing as it was.

Slowly, images started to come back to me. Myself, I recognized, with a boy in a meadow. A beach, a school, a ballet studio. At first they were random flashes but they began to evolve to the point that there seemed to be home movies playing on a loop. I remembered everything of my past life.

The last few hours of my ordeal were devoted to revenge.

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When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was the moss growing on the ceiling of the cave she left me in. I could see every detail within the organism, every insect crawling within its depths. I spent the time recovering from the pain examining everything I could see without moving any part of my body.

I then began testing out my other newly heightened senses. I could hear the drops of water falling through the air, I could feel every variation in the rock beneath me, but most of all, I smelled the sweetest of scents: the rusty and warm smell of blood.

Ultimately, it was the blood that motivated me to move from my solitude within the cave. Every time I breathed in, a burning itch would erupt in my throat; I was thirsty.

I emerged into the open forest. It was overcast that day, a depthless grey cover that did nothing to recognize the earth-shattering change that had happened within me.

Still, it seemed that I had entered into an entirely different world. Everything was just so much more. Green was greener, water was more wet, and the smells! Thousands assaulted me, of flowers, trees, grass...

The best scent of all was accompanied by soft heartbeats. It took me a few minutes to zone in on the sounds, but they were most definitely there.

Suddenly, I caught a much stronger scent. It was blood mixed with the scent of berries and sweaty musk. A quiet shuffling came to me from my right.

I didn't even think. Within seconds I had broken the bear's neck and was drinking its blood. The sense of satisfaction was unbelievable. I felt enormous power.

I caught a few more woodland animals, and then began heading south. I needed to find him, and tell him the news.

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**There we go everyone, another chapter up. I'll see what I can do with getting the next one up tomorrow. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Here's chapter three, and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You gave me warm fuzzies on the inside, and for that I am grateful. But still, I'm not afraid of constructive critiscm, so please, tell me what you really think_!

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**BPOV**

I didn't get a glimpse of myself until the sixth day of my new life. I was me, but sharper. Not as beautiful as that stubborn sister of his, but as I found out later, pretty enough to get what I wanted.

Most of all, I looked haunted.

I had gotten to Forks four days before.

Of course, I stayed away from the actual town. I knew no good would come of me being near to humans in my state. Just in case, I hunted as much as I could on my trip, small game like rabbits and foxes, but mostly bears and some deer. The deer I always felt guilty for killing; they were so innocent, quiet and graceful. It just felt wrong.

But the feeling that came over me when I smelled blood was indescribable; exhilarating and empowering, like nothing I had ever felt before. At the same time, it was impossible to resist. Nothing could stop me after I'd caught that whiff. I was terrified to meet a wayward human in the forest because of this, so I remained in the darkest, remote parts of the forest.

I arrived at my destination, and I wiped a little bit of blood off my chin as I approached the white mansion in the midst of the woods. It looked different, I remember thinking. I brushed it off to my new senses seeing everything differently.

I paused for a moment on the doorstep. Would he still love me in my new form? Would he take a glance at my new ruby-red eyes and turn away?

Still, I knocked. I didn't think of it at the time, but it was unusual for me to knock. Someone would always hear me approach, or the physic one would see me coming from miles away. Come to think of it, that was the first time I knocked on the door, ever.

I waited on the white porch for a few minutes, looking at a pot of flowers the doctor's wife must have put out. They were pretty, but looked parched. They were probably as thirsty as I was.

It took several more minutes for me to realize that no one was going to answer the door. It was impossible for them not to hear my knock; I'd forgotten my strength and nearly put my fist through the painted wood of the door.

I slowly turned the handle; unlocked. I let the door swing open on its own, and I stepped into the house. It was empty. And not just empty of the family, but completely cleared out. There was no furniture, the replacement TV the doctor had bought was gone, even _his_ piano was missing.

They were gone; the house was dead.

I spent the next few hours wandering through the house, each step sending a lance of pain through my silent heart.

The last room I stared at was his, but it was not empty. In it he had left the bed, our bed, and that was finally too much for me to take.

I turned on my heel and fled, flying down the many stairs and out the door. I ran for minutes, or hours, or days, I can't remember; all I could think of was if I ran far enough or fast enough, I could outrun the pain.

I rationalized that it would have taken much longer than the time I was gone for them to pack up and leave. I wasn't entirely sure, but I was positive that my time away from Forks was fewer than four days. I thought that they had left before I had.

I knew in my soul that they hadn't gone hunting. They left, without so much as a word.

With that realization, the wound in my chest that I'd worked so hard to heal tore open, bigger this time, a ragged, agonizing reminder of my loneliness.

I couldn't go see Charlie in Forks, and he must be so worried. I had planned to have _them_ visit him and come up with an excuse, explaining why I'd been gone and why I wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

I'll bet that he had the entire police force trying to find me. Of course, if one of them did, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from draining them bone dry.

And poor Renee; I'd never be able to see her again. It had taken weeks for her to come around to the idea of me getting married, and she was supposed to come up and help with the preparations the day after I disappeared. She was actually starting to get excited about the whole deal.

And Jake... my friends in the pack... they'd hate me now.

The thoughts of the people I was leaving behind in my flight only spurred me to run faster. I wanted to escape it all.

I spent the next two weeks in a hazy stupor, one arm constantly wrapped around my torso, except of course when I was hunting.

I hunted too much really. I didn't need that much sustenance, but it became the only thing that could distract me from the pain. I quickly became a master hunter. The faintest heartbeat would send me into predator mode. I would crouch down and begin moving silently, stalking my prey. More often than not, it would turn out to be a field mouse or something equally useless. Soon, I learned to differentiate between the different scents that were constantly assailing my nostrils. Bears had a musky, fruity scent. Deer smelled fresh and warm, rabbits smelled earthy and quiet, if it's possible to smell something like that.

Once, I caught a whiff of the sweetest scent imaginable, blood and flowers and candy rolled into one. Although I hadn't smelled it during my new life, I did recognize it. It was human, and I ran as fast and far away as I could.

Soon though, hunting became less of a challenge. After weeks of wandering through the forests around the border, I became bored. With boredom came the pain, and I couldn't deal with any of that.

So I decided to follow through with my plan of revenge, and I headed north.

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**Hey guys! Don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

_The return of Edward, what we've all been waiting for! Thank you everybody that reviewed, seriously. Every time I get a review I feel like writing even more. Cough cough, hint hint._

_This will be my second chapter today... I am on a major roll. Maybe I'll even get three done. We'll just have to wait and see._

_This is from Alice's POV.

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**APOV**

I jumped from my now vintage yellow Porsche and danced over to Edward's door, hoping to hurry him along.

"Remind me again why we're here, in Alaska, when the rest of the family is still in Russia, please," He asked, while remaining on the beautiful leather of my beautiful seats in my beautiful car, for the twelfth time that day. I'd been counting. He'd asked approximately forty-two times that weekend.

"_Because_, brother dearest, I signed you up for a semester at the University of Alaska during admission season this year, and if you don't go, I will have to go by myself, and you know how frightened I am of big crowds."

He just laughed a little, as I hoped he would, because he knows how much I love the attention of big crowds. He climbed from the car slowly, the smile gone from his face. He doesn't smile as much as he used to.

"And why are we at Denali? We haven't been here for years." Edward and his questions... I don't know why he even asks, if he can just read minds. I think it's because he doesn't like silences anymore.

"We are at Denali, which we haven't visited for twenty-seven years, because you need to get out more." I responded, while I waited for him to lead the way to the front door of the familiar house.

"I get out plenty, thank you very much, sister _dearest._"

"Edward, going for long walks by yourself for hours does not count as getting out."

"What are you, the social activity police? Besides, I took that architecture course a little while ago."

"That was ten _years_ ago Edward, and don't give me any of that 'Time flies when you're having fun' crap, because we both know that you haven't been having any fun."

By this time, we'd arrived on the porch of the Denali settlement. I let Edward knock.

"Don't you think we should have called ahead first?" He asked.

"Oh, not to worry. They'll be delighted to see us." He just shrugged and shook his head.

The door flew open before he could comment on my ability to see everything to come though.

"Edward? Alice? It's been ages! How are you? What brings you around to this part of the world?"

"Carmen! You're looking wonderful. Both Edward and I decided to take a few courses at the university this year." I heard a scoff from behind me. "And we knew that we had to pay a visit, it's definitely been too long."

I stepped forward to hug the woman who I had made great friends with the last time we saw each other. Her long chestnut locks were done up in a different way than the last time I saw her, but her face and topaz eyes were just the same, of course.

Edward followed me to kiss Carmen on the cheek. Although she was about our age when she was bitten, she always seemed to present a kind, motherly type figure, and I knew that someone like her could do great things for Edward.

"Please, come and sit with me. The others are out hunting. They're trying to get a really good haul before all the college kids start overrunning the hunting grounds. How have you been?"

We told her about everything that had happened in Russia. Emmett and Rosalie had gotten married again, and had their own cottage a few miles away from the one Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Edward and I were staying in. Carlisle was still practicing medicine of course, but Esme had opened an antique store in the town we lived close to. Jasper and I had just 'graduated' from the local high school, but Edward stayed at home most of the time, alone. That's why I needed him to get out more... he always seemed so lonely.

Carmen was regaling us with stories of her coven and the pranks they had pulled on the unsuspecting college students last semester when the rest of her housemates returned from their hunting trip.

After sharing greetings and such, they explained that they had some business to take care of and left, leaving Carmen, Edward and I alone once more.

Carmen continued with her stories as I tried to figure out what was wrong with Carmen's coven. Something seemed off, as if something was missing. Or someone...

It was Tanya. Tanya wasn't with the rest of the coven, and she was usually the leader of such hunting parties. Something was not right here...

Edward was looking at me, evidently reading my thoughts. I ignored him. "Carmen?" I asked, completely interrupting her.

Nevertheless, she smiled. "Yes, Alice dear?"

"Where's Tanya? She wasn't with everyone else and she's usually the first out to greet us Cullens when we visit."

Carmen hesitated, looking a little surprised by my question.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened. "She's dead? How is that possible? How did we not hear of it?" He asked.

Carmen looked at him, again surprised. "Sorry dear, I forgot that you can read minds,"

She stopped speaking, and began shifting uncomfortably. She glanced at us, only to see us staring at her intensely.

"Well, you see, Edward, Alice... several years ago, Tanya lost control."

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**Ohhh cliff hanger! Have you figured out who bit Bella yet? I'm sure you have. I should have the next chapter up sometime tonight, so check back soon. I might be tempted to write a new chapter quicker if I get more reviews. :)**

**P.S. Thanks to _Mourning Verona's Dead _for telling me the names of the other Denali coven members. I couldn't remember for the life of me!**


	5. Chapter 5

_My longest chapter yet. Admittedly, only by a few words, but I am proud damnit:) Thanks to everyone who reviewed, honestly, you guys rock my socks off. So everything (or nearly so) is explained in this chapter. Read and enjoy, and please don't forget to review!_

_The first part is in Edward's POV, and then it shifts to Tanya's. And the truth comes out. :)_

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**EPOV**

"So she just up and decided to start drinking human blood?" I asked, completely astonished. Tanya was always so... well always so in control, sometimes to the extent that her thoughts were completely in control also. I often got the feeling that I was only hearing what she wanted me to hear when we visited Denali.

"Well no," began Carmen, "It wasn't quite like that. She and a few of the coven were out playing around at the campus, writing some graffiti and such. From what I heard, she mentioned smelling the sweetest human blood she had ever experienced. Apparently, she was pretty calm until the human boy walked right past her, and she just attacked. He was alone, so no one else found out, but as soon as she finished him, she just ran off."

"Did you see her after that, or did you just assume that she's dead?" Alice asked. I looked over at her next to me on the leather couch. She had a thoughtful look on her face, like she was trying to figure something out. She never really liked Tanya, so I wasn't surprised that she didn't seem upset.

"Actually, she came back a few weeks later. Her eyes were bright red, but she said she'd changed, that she wanted back in the coven. She was our leader, sort of, so we allowed her to. She bought the house next to ours, to have some space she said, and things settled down for awhile."

"But how did she die?" I asked, sensing her hesitation to tell us.

"I was getting to that, dear."

"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly.

"The thing is, we don't really even know. She was killed a week or so after her return. We were out hunting; she'd elected to stay behind. When we went to check on her the next day, there was nothing left of her but a pile of ashes and a scorch mark on the ceiling of her living room. The house was absolutely destroyed."

"Well, who did it?" I asked. For some reason, I felt like I needed to know.

"That's the most mysterious part. All we found in her house was a note that said 'Never let your victims see your face'," she sighed, looking upset. "We assumed that one of the humans she caught in her rampage didn't die, but became a vampire instead. Even Tanya couldn't fight off a newborn like that."

"Wow," Alice and I breathed simultaneously, looking at each other. We sat back against the couch, left completely speechless.

After a few minutes, I regained my senses enough to ask why we hadn't been told.

"We sent you a message, and called. You never told us you were leaving the continent though," she accused.

"Well yes, but that's a long story..." Alice replied, looking at me nervously. I fought to keep my face blank.

"We haven't heard from you and your family since before Tanya was killed, actually. Whatever happened to that human Carlisle was telling us about, what was her name..."

"Carmen, no---" Alice cried.

"It was Bella, wasn't it? Carlisle said she was an amazing girl, and that the two of you, Edward, were quite in love."

I sat on the couch in that formal sitting room and let the roaring in my ears drown out Carmen's rambling. No one had said her name to me since we left Forks. The moment her musical name hit my ears, my body was lit with a ferocious pain. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

Abruptly, I stood up. "Excuse me, won't you ladies?"

Without waiting for a response, I was out the door and running. Trying to outrun the pain.

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TPOV - 25 Years Ago**

I looked around my new home, marvelling what a few nights working at vampire speed could do to such a rundown house. Some curtains and a new paint job... all I needed was some comfortable furniture. Maybe, I thought, I'd go to town and visit a few stores. I needed my new house to be perfect.

The moment I returned from Washington, I knew that I couldn't stay with the rest of my coven. They were too oppressive, always with questions in their eyes. They didn't believe that I had stopped drinking human blood.

_They were right though_ I laughed to myself. During the day, while they were gone to their respective occupations, I would single out a human exploring the woods and stalk them, choosing the perfect time to strike.

Humans were so much more exhilarating to hunt. The terrified look in their eyes, when they realized that vampires were not just a nightmare but real, and that they were going to die... I can't believe that I stopped taking humans for decades.

And the human that I had in Forks, Bella, Edward Cullen's fiancé apparently, was the best I'd ever had. So sweet... even her blood tasted innocent.

I wasn't in Forks just for her, but as I was hunting in the woods, I caught her scent and followed her deeper into the woods.

She was just standing there, alone, staring like a fool at a display of light and shadows. I recognized her from Alice and Jasper's descriptions. But her smell... I stopped thinking about consequences the second it hit my nostrils.

She didn't even know she was alone until I spoke.

She tasted like heaven, but I was unfortunately interrupted in my feeding when I sensed a group of vampires entering the area. I knew immediately that it was the Cullens, returning from the hunting trip I was told about in an email from Carlisle.

I swore and I muffled Bella's screams as I threw her over my shoulder and began running. I was planning to carry her a short distance and finish her off, but I couldn't find a safe place for several hours.

By the time we got there, she was cold. I assumed she was dead.

I was on my way back to Canada when I realized that Edward would stop at nothing to find his missing mate. And when he did, he'd smell me all over her. And he would kill me.

I ran as fast I ever had back to the woods behind her house, where I paused to figure out a plan.

The letters I left for the Cullens and her father obviously worked. They believed that she'd run away with a new boyfriend, that she never wanted to see any of them again.

Her handwriting was too easy to copy.

I returned home to Denali, and relaxed in the peace I assumed I had created.

When she knocked at the door, I assumed it was one of my coven mates. _That's strange_, I thought, _they told me that they were going hunting_.

When I opened the front door, I was shocked to see _her _standing there. She lunged at me before I could say anything.

Newborns are impossible to fight off.

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**Poor Edward. Don't worry, things will lighten up soon enough. Hopefully we'll get to some actual classroom stuff, hey? Oh, btw, REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Well, here's chapter six. Things are definitely picking, and the best thing, classes start soon! Thank you so much, everyone that reviewed. I wouldn't be nearly as eager to write if I didn't know that I had so many cheering fans._

_This chapter starts from Bella's POV then shifts to Alice's. Enjoy!_**

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**BPOV**

By the time I'd recovered from the onslaught of memories, there were actually a few people milling about the campus. I slowly opened my car door and climbed out, then turned around to admire the beautiful machine. I'd bought a vintage Mercedes, nothing too flashy. I didn't need the board to suspect me any more than they already did. Before I gathered my briefcase and jacket (to make myself look like an authentic human walking out in the cold September arctic air), I ran my hand over my car's midnight blue finish. Something about driving fast... I just couldn't get over it.

I took a deep and unnecessary breath and began walking over to the concrete building that held my tiny office.

"Oh, crap!" I cried as I realized I'd forgotten the box of things I'd brought to liven up the nondescript closet. I hurriedly turned around and got it from the trunk of my car, then began making my way to the Faculty of Literary Arts building.

On my way there, a woman dressed in nothing but pink pajama pants and a flimsy robe stormed across the courtyard. I chuckled to myself, doubting that the bunny slippers she was wearing were keeping her toes warm.

Following her was a male, in his early twenties just like the woman, but in an even more chilly state of undress. Boxers and some sandals... I could sense a few new cases of frostbite this morning.

I was still a ways off from my building, so I decided to walk slowly and watch the drama unfold. Nothing like a good, live soap opera to distract somebody from their first day at a new job.

"Baby! Baby, wait! Please---" The boy cried, but was interrupted by the woman, as she spun around quickly, her robe flashing open and revealing nothing but a tank top that said 'Too Hot to Handle.' The look of rage on her face frightened even me a little bit.

"No Josh, I will not wait for you! And don't you 'baby' me you jerk! How could you do that to me?! We've been dating for three years, and now you're cheating on me? God, I should've listened to my mother and broken up with you after high school finished."

"Baby---"

"What did I _just_ say about the 'baby' Josh?" She screamed.

"Fine, Amanda, but girl, you've got to believe me! It was a one time thing, I was drunk, she meant nothing to me! I thought of you the whole time, but ba--- I mean, Amanda, I'm sorry and I love you!"

He was lying straight to her face. What he actually should have said was: "_It was a fourteen time thing, I had one beer, I'd __been wanting__ to sleep with this girl for six months, and I thought of her and Jessica Alba the whole time. I'm not __sorry,__ she's a wildcat in bed. I'm only sorry that you caught us."_

I knew because I could hear it as a sort of whispering in the back of my head. The voices in my brain took a little to get used to, but once I found out that they told me the truth when people were lying, I really appreciated them.

That was my vampire power. Originally I thought that I didn't even have a power, because the first six months or so of my new life was spent in the woods, far away from humans. And animals and trees can't really lie if they can't talk, can they?

When I started slowing immersing myself in the human world, I thought I was crazy. I'd be in the middle of a semi-crowded shopping mall, just working on my control, and then voices would start whispering in the back of my head. It took a while for me to connect the whispers to conversations that were happening around me, and even longer to figure out that the voices would tell me what the people should have said if they wanted to stay truthful.

Once I did, I would just sit and people watch for hours, listening and marvelling at how much everyone lies in their daily conversations with people. I would also contemplate the reason for my power, and I always attributed it to my perceptiveness in my previous life.

I also suspected that I was able to block all other vampires' powers, because I would often get strange looks from the few vampires that I had met over the years. A couple even asked about it, but all I could do was shrug. They always thought that I was strange for living in a one-vampire coven, so they never stayed around for long.

By this time, the couple had evidently made up, because they were now sitting under a leafy tree in the courtyard and making out. I had to laugh at the foolishness of human girls... so eager to give their hearts away.

I once again began making my way to my office. I was in no hurry; my classes didn't start until nine o'clock that morning, but I wanted to get my office decorating done so I could go over my lesson plans once more.

When I reached my office, I was suddenly not so eager to start the day. Whoever had painted my name on the door had misspelled it, and I would now be known to all as Professor 'Swine', god... how embarrassing.

Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and opened my office door. Time to get cracking.

**

* * *

**

**APOV**

Carmen was left staring at the swinging front door, utterly baffled. "Was it something I said? Oh dear..." She trailed off, looking upset.

"Don't worry about it," I said, as I got up to close the door. "He and Bella haven't seen each other for years," sitting back down on the couch across from Carmen, I continued, "I think that he still loves her very much, and I doubt that he'll ever stop."

"But, I don't understand. From what I heard from Carlisle all those years ago, he and Bella were going to get married."

"Oh they were. In fact, a few days before the wedding, we all went off to hunt, to avoid any accidents at the ceremony. But when we returned, early, because Edward couldn't stand not being with her, she was gone, and all we had was a note."

"And? What did it say?"

"Something about running off with the 'true' love of her life. It devastated the family, but it killed Edward. He always suspected that something like that would happen; he never felt good enough for her. What's worse, we think she ran off with a boy from the reservation near Forks."

"But aren't they werewolves?" Carmen asked, looking astonished.

"Mmm, that's why I think I can't see anything about her. I used to try all the time, but nothing."

"Oh dear... poor Edward."

I nodded. I was so angry at Bella for doing that to my brother. But still, I was dying to see her. I hadn't even been back to Forks to check on her since we got the letter. All of us just packed up and moved in record time; we had everything on its way to Russia within 48 hours. The time was hard for all of us, seeing Edward in such a state.

"Well Carmen, it's been truly lovely to see you, but we've got classes later this afternoon. We should probably start preparing."

Carmen nodded, looking thoughtful. "Would you like to come over on Friday night? We're having a gathering of all the 'vegetarian' vampires in the area. It should be fun," she said, smiling.

I grinned. "We'd love to," I looked out the window, seeing Edward waiting by the car. "And thanks for telling us about Tanya. It was really good catching up with you."

"You too dear," said Carmen. "See you on Friday."

"Right, goodbye Carmen," I said while giving her a little hug and heading out the door.

On my way to the car, I flipped open my cell phone to call Carlisle. He needed to know about Tanya.

**

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**

**Voila! Thar yar everyone. Poor Edward, again. Soon, everything will be righted, though. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Okay everybody, here is the next chapter. There's a little bit of a song towards the end of it, because I just had to include it. Before you read this chapter, if you can, download_ **Vampire by Antsy Pants**_. It's from the soundtrack of Juno and it's just simply amazing. I also don't own it, so settle down Disclaimer Police!_

_So Edward and Bella don't meet this chapter, but they most definitely will next chapter or the chapter after that. I think this fic will go on a lot longer than I thought it would. But don't worry, I will make sure to post a new chapter or two every day! Thanks to everybody that reviewed! I'm almost at 100!_**

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**

BPOV 

I slammed the door to my tiny office, breathing heavily. I, Professor 'Swine' was possibly the best teacher in the world.

My first class of the day was with a group of second-year English major students. After fielding a few stupid questions from enraptured male students, I got on with an explanation of the basic outline of what we'd be covering that semester. From there, we started talking about our favourite authors of the 18th century. I was hoping to connect their preferences to the syllabus, and I wanted to actually get to know at least some of my students.

I was leaning against the door with my eyes closed when I heard a quiet cough.

My eyes flew open. There was a human, sitting at my desk, and twirling in my chair. _I _was the only one allowed to twirl in that chair.

"Excuse me, miss, but that is my chair." I stated, as quietly as she had coughed before.

She stood up quickly, flipping her long blonde hair out of her eyes. "Oh god, I'm sorry Professor Swi--- I mean, Swan. I can't believe they misspelled your name on the door! That is just awful, really, I would go complain to the building manager if I were---"

I was tired of her rambling. My good mood from my successful first class had disappeared with the appearance of this... this...

"Who are you and what are you doing in my office?" I asked, interrupting her.

"Oh, gosh, sorry. I'm Cindy Kensington. I'm your new teacher's aide!" She said brightly, smiling at me with teeth nearly as white as mine.

"Teacher's aide."

"Yes, that's me. I'm supposed to help you with your classes, and I can take over if you are ever unable to come to class."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-five, ma'am."

"Well you are just so... chipper, aren't you?" I sighed. She wasn't that bad really, just a surprise. I hate surprises.

"Listen, Cindy, I'm sorry for being so snappy. I, uhh, didn't get much sleep last night." I smiled, laughing at my own inside joke. "I haven't got anything for you to do right now, but how about you go for lunch, and meet me at our next class, at one-thirty? Do you have a schedule?"

She whipped out a pink, and sparkly of all things, briefcase, and shook it. "I sure do, right here Professor Swan!"

"Please, call me Bella. I'll see you in an hour, okay?" I smiled, and ushered her out of the room. _Now __I'm __going__ to have to fi__nd another chair to go in here_, I thought as I sat down in the computer chair I'd brought from my apartment.

A teacher's aide. I was thinking about how useful she was going to be when she barged back into the room.

"Hi Bella! I brought you some coffee!" She said, plopping a tray of Styrofoam cups on my mahogany desk. "I didn't know what kind you like, so I brought a selection. Anything you don't want, I'll just---"

She was rambling again, so I took the opportunity to examine her. She had a few highlights streaking through her hair, and big brown eyes framed by long lashes. She was wearing a professional suit and low heels. She looked more like a matronly old woman than a bubbly twenty-five year old.

"You know Cindy, you can dress more casually if you'd like to. There's no need for a suit."

She looked down at herself. "Oh thank god. My sister told me I should wear something like this, but it just looks so awful. You know, my sister, she tries to tell me how to do everything. I knew I shouldn't have..."

I looked up as she trailed off from her life story. She had a few tears in her eyes.

"Cindy, what's wrong? Are you okay?" I stood up and walked over to the other side of the desk. I was so confused! Was it something I said?

"Oh, well... it's nothing Bella, really."

"Cindy..."

"It's just that, I brought you coffee and you don't want any! I'm sorry, I feel like an idiot for crying on my first day."

I looked down at the cups of steaming coffee, sitting on my desk, seemingly benign. Oh, but the evil that lies in wait.

"Oh no, Cindy, I do want some. I'll just grab the decaf, really, thanks so much. I really appreciate it." I smiled tightly, hoping she'd leave now that I had the cup of coffee in hand.

She just continued staring expectantly at me. I glared at the cup before downing it all in one gulp. God, it tasted awful, like swallowing liquid toe jam. I never even liked the stuff as a human!

She smiled, and turned to leave. "I'll see you at our next class Bella!"

And with that she was gone.

I spent the next 45 minutes planning my next class, the one class that I was truly nervous about. I kept taking deep breaths, but nothing worked. I tried everything until I was left with my final resort.

The vampire song. I always sang it when I was really nervous, like before I had to go speak to the school board. But there were people walking right outside my office, students and staff alike.

But when I visited the staff room, the other profs told me that my next class was going to be the hardest of them all. It had to be done.

I took a deep breath and began.

**

* * *

EPOV**

I convinced Alice to let me drive her Porsche to school. After what happened that morning, I felt it was my right. The pain that I had worked so hard to cover up was still eating me alive.

In the parking lot, we passed a midnight blue Mercedes, vintage, I thought.

"Nice car," Alice remarked. We hadn't really spoken much since we left Denali. I looked at her and sighed.

"Look, Alice. I'm sorry about running off like that,"

"Oh no, Edward, don't. I understand completely. Let's just forget about it, okay?" She looked at me pleadingly. I could tell that she was worried about me. I nodded and kept my eyes open for empty parking spaces.

Still, I couldn't help but think that she could never possibly understand.

We found a spot close to the main doors of the University.

"When was the last time we took a course here Alice? Like, sixty years?"

"Sounds about right," she laughed. "Remember that wall colour they used to have? It was like ear wax or something. Rose almost threw up the first time she stepped into the lobby."

I chuckled a bit too at the memory. "So where are we headed? What's our first class?" I asked. Alice hadn't let me see the time table yet, and she was constantly thinking about something else, so I couldn't figure it out myself.

"Alice, class starts in ten minutes. You might as well tell me now."

Wordlessly, she handed me the schedule. Before I got a chance to look at it though, I heard the most hilarious song coming from an office on the right side of the hallway Alice and I were walking down.

_I am a vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__Vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__I have lost my fangs_

_I am a vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__I am a vampire  
__I have lost my fangs_

_So I'm sad and I feel lonely  
__So I cry and I'm very angry  
__And I eat some garlic  
__So I'm no more satanic yeah __yeah_

"Oh my god Edward! Do you hear that?" Alice said. I looked at her. She was almost doubled over in laughter, clutching her sides.

"Alice! If, what's her name, Professor Swine, only knew..." I was laughing too, so much so that I had to lean against Alice for support.

Alice, still chuckling, started pushing me along the hallway. "Come on Edward, we have to hurry up or we'll be late for Home Ec."

I stopped and stared at her. "Home Ec, Alice? Why the hell did you sign us up for Home Ec?"

"Because we've never done it before, brother, and I thought it would be fun. Now let's go!"

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**HAH! You thought they'd be going to a Lit class, didn't you. Oh no, that's tomorrow. So they didn't meet this chapter, but soon my lovelies, I promise. :) Expect some drama to unfold, but only if people review! SO REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

_All I can say is EEP. It's what you've all been waiting for! I neglected my homework for you guys, so I'm going to need some reviews to make up for it:)_

_BTW, this is my longest (and most awesome) chapter yet, and it was all thanks to the reviewers. You guys rock!_**

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**

**BPOV**

I closed and locked my office door at the end of the day with a sigh.

"Goodbye Professor Swan!" I heard Cindy yell from down the hall. I replied with a smile and a wave and gratefully made my way to my car.

My second class of the day went well, not nearly as bad as I thought it would. My singing had really calmed me down before I left the office. I just couldn't help but laugh every time I let the words flow from my mouth. If the writers of the song only knew...

Of course, the next morning I was going to be standing in front of a room full of freshmen, new college students who probably hadn't let go of their high school mentality, which meant I was going to have to take some severe disciplinary action.

I sighed once more and made my way out the main doors towards my beautiful car. I was halfway across the courtyard when I smelled another vampire to my right. I paused in my tracks and slowly turned my head towards the sweet smell.

I saw a young woman sitting on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the yard. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back and showed off her pearly white skin. She smiled when she saw me looking at her, and waved me over.

I hesitated, but went anyway. The stranger wouldn't do anything in front of all the students that were milling about. It took me several moments to get to the fountain, which didn't actually have any running water in it. Any liquid left out in the Arctic air would most obviously freeze, especially at this time of year.

Before I could say anything, she bade me sit. I did so, awkwardly; who was this woman, and why was she treating me like she knew me?

"You're new around these parts, aren't you dear?" Her voice was warm and soft, and I felt instantly relaxed at the sound of it.

"I've only lived here for a few months, yes," I responded, looking at her face. She examined mine right back.

"I'm having a gathering of local vegetarians at my house this Friday, would you like to come?"

"Wha— what? We just met, no, we didn't even meet. Who are you?" I was completely bewildered. Why was she looking at me like that?

"My name is Carmen. I live at Denali with a vegetarian coven." The moment I heard 'Denali', I stiffened.

"Please, won't you come? I promise no harm will come to you." She took my hand and squeezed it. I could see no lies in her words.

"Well, I guess... I just... well, sure. Yes, I'll come." I couldn't believe I was agreeing, but somehow this mysterious woman was persuading me.

With my acquiescence, she stood. "Come at around eight o'clock. I trust you know how to get there?"

I nodded, and stood as well. Before I could say anything else, she turned to leave.

"But wait, Carmen! You don't even know who I am!" I called after her as she began walking away.

"I think we'll get to know you just fine on Friday. Goodbye, dear." And with that, she turned around one of the campus buildings.

It took several minutes of waiting in my car for my wits to return.

"What a strange day," I whispered to myself, as I pulled out of the parking lot.

**

* * *

BPOV **

I spent the night preparing my lesson plans for the coming weeks, and contemplating how I should redecorate my apartment. Night time still leaves me restless, even after all these years.

I didn't leave for work quite so early as I had the day before. Instead, I really thought out what I wanted to wear that day. After speaking to Cindy about her suit, I realized that I was also dressed pretty stuffily.

It took me hours to rummage through my closet and wardrobe for something a little more interesting to wear. Finally, I decided on a simple grey a-line skirt that ended just above my knee and began just above my hips. I topped it off with a white blouse and a red cardigan. To look like I was avoiding the freezing cold, I added a pair of black tights. My shoes were bright red heels; it had taken me months to learn how to walk properly in them, even with my vampire grace.

I left my hair down and curled into light waves, and finished the outfit off with a chunky black necklace and my practical briefcase.

I glanced in the mirror only briefly before I left my cozy apartment. Ever since the change, I'd avoided looking in mirrors. My face just gave me the creeps.

The drive to the campus took longer than it had the day before. There was more traffic and an accident on a major route, causing backup all over the city.

Thankfully, I had still left early enough to arrive in plenty of time. I made my way to my office and began going over my lesson plans once more.

**

* * *

APOV**

I slammed my foot on the brake as a reckless driver tried to dodge in front of me. "Honestly, how did I not see this coming?" I cried as I began swerving between cars once more.

"What, you mean this huge traffic jam? The one that we are stuck in right now, and won't be able to escape in order to get to class on time? I don't Alice, how did you not see this coming?"

I took my eyes off the road long enough to glare at Edward. "I'm sorry if my hair took longer to do this morning than it usually does, alright? I was focusing on that, not on driving conditions."

Edward just sighed and went back to looking out the window. We stayed in silence until we arrived on campus.

"What's our first class this morning?" He asked quietly as I looked for a parking spot.

"English Lit 101 with a Professor Swine," I said, glad that he was speaking to me again.

"You mean that woman that was singing that song about vampires yesterday?" Edward exclaimed, laughing.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, laughing with him. I knew that getting Edward out of Russia would do him good; he hadn't laughed this much in a long time. Not since...

Edward glanced at me, all laughter gone from his eyes. Obviously he had read my mind.

"Sorry," I said, quietly.

He just sighed. "We're already late by now, and we can't walk any faster with all these humans around. How late are we going to be?"

I focused hard, but couldn't get anything. "I--- I don't know. I can't see anything."

He patted me on the back. "That's okay, let's just hurry up. I don't want this 'Swine' woman mad at us on the first day," he said with a smile.

I smiled at him too, and we headed over to English Lit 101, room 210.

**

* * *

BPOV**

"So I'm assuming that all of you have at least heard of William Shakespeare. Am I right?" After seeing nods from everyone, I smiled. "Good. Now who has actually read one or more of his works?"

People put their hands up, and I selected a few of them to tell us what they'd read. I decided to ask the one student who still had his hand up.

"Yes, you in the denim jacket," I said pointing to him, "Which was your favourite Shakespeare play?"

"Well no, it's not that ma'am. Somebody's at the door."

"Oh, well then. Somebody let them in."

I had already decided to ignore anyone that arrived late to one of my lectures, so I turned away from the door.

I was about to begin outlining what we'd be covering the over the next semester when their scent hit me. I almost passed out, it smelled so good, and so... familiar.

I turned slowly to the door, my mouth wide open, to see similar looks on both of their faces.

"Oh god..." I said to myself. How could _they_ be _here, now?_

"Bella?!" was the last thing I heard before I fled the room.

**

* * *

APOV**

"Edward, the door's locked." I said, frowning at the peeling paint on the offending handle.

"Well, what do you expect me to do about it? Break the door down in front of everybody?"

I turned my frown on him. "There's no need for that right now Edward!"

"Just knock Alice, honestly."

"Fine." I did so, and peered through the foggy glass of the classroom door. I saw a student put his hand up when he saw us. Ew, he was wearing a denim jacket. It took a while for the professor to notice, but when she called on him, I saw him speak and point at the door.

God, this was the worst way to start a new class, interrupting the prof and the entire class. Somebody got up to open the door for us. She was wearing a denim jacket too. Was this some sort of trend I hadn't picked up on in Alaska?

The girl opened the door and smiled us. The professor was turned away from us, so I couldn't see her face. I made to pull Edward to the back row where I could see some empty seats, but he remained frozen.

I looked at him, and his face was contorted into a look of surprise and pain. I followed his gaze, and saw, to my disbelief...

"Bella?!" We both said. The moment we did, she was out the back door like a rocket.

Edward followed right after her.

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**OMG! Major cliff-hanger, sorry guys, but they finally met! If you want to know what happens after this, REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Well, you guys asked for it, so here it is. Thank you so much, everyone, for all the reviews! Even the death threats were flattering! ;) Just because you guys reviewed so much, I decided to post an extra long chapter. _

_I just had a long weekend from school, so I was able to post three chapters a day for the past two days. But alas, alack, that is no more, so I'll probably only be able to post one a day. Until next weekend that is. :) _

_Let's get on with the reading!__ Btw, this is a really intense chapter, and has a bit of swearing in it. Brace yourself!_

**

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BPOV**

My first thoughts as I burst out of the classroom were frenzied escape plans. I ran and strategized until my ankle twisted painfully.

"Goddamn heels!" I paused to kick them off. Even practicing for months couldn't prepare me for a marathon run in stilettos. I began fleeing once more, running down the hallway in my pantyhose, thanking God that there wasn't anyone around to see me.

I thankfully had the presence of mind to keep my speed to a fast human-type pace, but I couldn't stop myself from speeding up when I heard sounds of someone following me.

_Someone, _I thought with a grimace. It wasn't a _someone,_ it was him. God, I couldn't believe that they had to show up here, just as I was settling into a new job. My rage slowly over took all of my thoughts until I realized that I was halfway to my car without the keys.

"Crap," I hissed. I thanked the heavens for my vampire memory as I turned to the left, quickly darting past the empty fountain in the courtyard and heading towards my office. I never would have remembered an alternate route like the one I was on in my past life. My office was now only a few minutes away.

On the way there I made a list of all the things I would need to pack if I wanted to get away fast. And lord, did I want to get out of there.

I finally skidded around the corner near my office and paused only to throw open the door. The force with which the flimsy piece of wood hit the wall shook the whole building, but I was beyond caring at that point. I jumped right over my desk and grabbed my precious computer chair, then flung myself to the other side of the room. I slammed the door and locked it, after shoving the chair under the handle.

_As if that could keep them out, Bella, _I thought as I desperately searched around the room for a box. I finally found the one I'd brought all my decorating supplies in, and emptied it of its contents. '_Fat lot of good those fancy curtain rods are going to do me now;' _those were the only words going through my head as I hurriedly began tossing random items in the box.

_Car keys, house keys, briefcase. _I could hear footsteps in the hallway outside. _Cell phone, wallet__, laptop. _I could hear another set now, catching up to the other. The second was lighter; _Alice, _I thought. My hands began shaking as the footsteps slowed down. _Purse, pic__ture frames, rubber ducky-- wai__t... what the hell? iPod, diplo--_

"Bella?" There was a soft knock on the door.

_Crap._ I was trapped.

Someone jiggled the door handle, finding it locked. "Bella, if you don't open this door right now, we will make a scene." It was Alice, obviously. "Trust us Bella. You do not want us to make a scene."

_As if you haven't already, _I thought as I debated what to do. _And trust you! Hah, not after what you did to me. _

I finally decided to just let them in, and tell them to screw off.

"Bella! We know you're in there!" Alice's voice was getting louder now.

"Alice, god, I'm coming! Just give me a minute." I took a deep breath, moved the chair, and opened the door.

**

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EPOV**** – In the Classroom**

The moment I saw her, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. She looked so scared, horrified even, to see us in the classroom. _Her classroom, _I remember thinking.

Before I could do anything though, she turned and was out the back door. Both Alice and I just stood there for a few seconds, completely blown away.

After that, I was out the door after her. I could barely control my body; only enough to slow myself down to human speed. To see her now, after all these years, and then have her run out on me... I just wasn't going to have any of that.

_She's fast, _I thought, nearly tripped over a pair of red heels lying in the middle of the hallway. I could only assume that they were hers, so I stopped to pick them up. I held them in my hand for a moment, then clutched them tightly to my chest and began running again.

I could hear Alice following me a ways back, but my head snapped forward when I heard Bella yell 'Crap' to herself. The sound was from the courtyard only a few yards away from where I was, so I sped up a tiny bit. Still, I couldn't catch her. I just managed to keep seeing her whip around corners ahead of me, so I continued the chase.

Frankly, I was surprised by her speed. I just wasn't used to her moving so fast. _'You also haven't seen her in 25 years Edward,' _I reminded myself, wincing.

Finally, I saw her fly into the office labelled 'Professor Swine.' I was going to knock when I decided to wait for Alice. I didn't think I could face her on my own.

**

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APOV**** – In the Classroom**

Edward came to his senses before I did and started chasing Bella within seconds. Me, I was too shocked to even move a muscle. Finally though, I loosened up enough to look around at the rest of the class. Seventy-five pairs of eyes were staring at the back door as it swung back and forth on its hinges.

If there was ever a time to think fast, it was now. Before I could open my mouth however, a young woman with long blonde hair strode to the front of the class.

"Everyone, a big round of applause for the Alaskan Theatre Arts Group, who just put on a fantastic show for you!" I stared at her, astonished, as she pointed at me, still in the corner of the room.

I decided to go along with it, and bowed as a few of the freshmen began clapping slowly. Soon, all of them were, and I took the opportunity to speak with the young woman.

"Thank you so much," I began, but she interrupted me.

"Don't worry about it. I don't care why the hell she ran away from you, but you need to leave so I can take over the class. My name's Cindy, by the way," she said with a smile.

"Mine's Alice," I said, as I looked at the now still back door. "I have a feeling that you're going to be seeing me around a lot pretty soon. I'm uh... Bella's cousin. We do this kind of thing all the time."

"Sure, sure. Whatever. Please, just go, okay?" I nodded, but she was already walking to the desk to gather Bella's lesson plans.

I darted from the room while everyone's eyes were focused on Cindy. I could faintly hear Edward ahead of me, and I followed chase. The only thoughts that were running through my head were revolving around why I didn't see any of this coming and why the hell the decorators of this place decided that shit brown was an attractive hallway floor colour.

I turned a corner ahead quickly, nearly slamming into the wall on the other side, to see Edward waiting outside the office door labelled 'Professor Swine,' with his face carefully blank.

There were sounds of things being thrown around inside the office; when I looked at Edward, he just shrugged. It was then that I noticed the shoes.

"Hmm, Manolo's... the girl's finally got some taste." I said, eyeing the heels.

"Alice..." Edward sighed.

"Right, right. Sorry. Are you going to do this, or should I?" I asked, examining his face.

"You can," he said, quietly.

I knocked on the door, and I heard the noises in the room stop.

"Bella?" I jiggled the door handle; it was locked, obviously. ""Bella, if you don't open this door right now, we will make a scene." Nothing happened. "Trust us Bella. You do not want us to make a scene."

Still, there was no response from inside the room.

"Bella! We know you're in there!" I was starting to yell. I couldn't help it! How could she just run off like that, after what she did to Edward?

The yelling worked. "Alice, god, I'm coming. Just give me a minute." She shouted, just as loud.

I heard her take a deep breath. I looked at Edward as the door opened.

**

* * *

BPOV**

They were just standing there, an identical look of anger and confusion plastered on their faces. Edward though... he... well he just looked different. Seeing his face for the second time that day made me feel like I'd been run over by a tractor. His eyes... they were so empty now. Not like how they used to be...

"Well, are you going to invite us in or not?" I glared at Alice angrily. She had the nerve to look at me with rage in her eyes after _they _left _me_?

I motioned them in with a brief wave my arm. I walked past them and peered down both sides of the depressingly brown hallway, looking for anyone that might have witnessed the incident. The halls were empty, and I considered making a break for it, but I knew that they would catch me eventually.

I turned around, slamming the door behind me.

I peered at their faces, lit by my tiny desk lamp. They looked exactly the same... I felt the rage build up within me once again.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I hissed at them. The look on my face must have frightened them a little, because they backed up against my bookshelf.

I saw Alice glance at Edward.

"We enrolled at the university. We were getting a little bored." Surprisingly enough, I couldn't see any lies in her words.

Alice looked at Edward again. "Bella, what are _you_ doing here?"

"I work here, as a professor. This is my second day on the fucking job and you had to barge in... god..."

"So you _are_ Professor Swine then?" Alice asked, a little light back in her eyes.

I glanced at the door behind me. "Yes, that's me. They misspelled it."

"I gathered. Bella--"

"No Alice, no. I don't want to hear any more from you! What I want is for you to get the hell out of my office, and more importantly, leave me the hell alone!" I was shouting now, but I didn't care.

I opened my office door quickly, my face set. "Get out."

Alice walked out, slowly, and turned around in the hall, her arms crossed.

Edward still hadn't moved. I turned to him, which was a mistake. He was staring straight at me, his eyes no longer dead. They were now smouldering, just like they used to. This time though, I think, they were alight with anger, not lust.

I motioned with my head that I wanted him out too. I didn't trust my voice.

He started to leave, but then he stopped in his tracks.

"Isn't this a little far North for a werewolf?" He asked quietly.

What the hell was he talking about? "A werewolf? What?" I asked, completely bewildered. And those eyes... they were starting to dazzle me again.

"Jacob, Bella. Where is he?" He asked, angrily this time.

"Jacob? What the hell? I don't have a freaking clue where he is. Last I heard, he was on the reserve with the girl he imprinted on, and they were expecting twins. But that was ten years ago Edward. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"But I thought--"

"You thought? You thought what, that I ran to Jacob after you and your family," I spat, "deserted me? Yeah right, like he'd have me."

Edward just stood there, utterly speechless. "Deserted you? You--"

"That's fucking it! Get out of here!" With that, I put all my strength into pushing him out of the room.

I shut the door quietly, and listened, waiting for them to leave.

Soon, I heard two pairs of footsteps walking slowly away.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

**

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter! I was so going to leave it where Bella opens the door, but I thought that that would just be too cruel. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and don't worry; they will meet again, BUT ONLY IF YOU REVIEW! So review. Now. **


	10. Chapter 10

_Oh my god, I know it's been FOREVER since I updated, and I don't really have a good reason. I just wasn't into the writing at all. But today I woke up and I decided to just get on with it. I am really really REALLY sorry that it's taken so long, and I have to apologize to everyone who reviewed and asked for more. I appreciated the reviews so much, and they were really what got me going again. _

_To make up for the unannounced, month-long hiatus, I tried to make this chapter super long and super great. Expect some awesome confrontations. ;)_

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**BPOV**

I stood staring out the empty doorway for what seemed like hours. They were here, and then gone, and so quickly. But I knew that they were definitely going to stay in Alaska, which meant that I was going to have to get out of here as soon as possible.

With that decision made, I just had a few things to wrap up before I could leave and find a new job far far away from here. I began the long walk back to the Lit classroom.

When I got there, I could barely contain my surprise. Cindy was directing the class like a commanding general with his troops. She had obviously picked up where I had left off; she was clutching my lesson plan in her left hand and pointing to people with their hands up with her right.

I just watched for a while; she was doing remarkably well, really confident. She would make an excellent teacher. As I was thinking this, I was suddenly reminded of my contract. It stated that I would have to give a letter of resignation at least a semester before I planned to leave.

"Crap," I muttered under my breath. Apparently not as quiet as I had meant it to be though; a few kids in the desks closest to the door turned in their chairs to look at me.

Cindy noticed their shifting attention. "Oh excellent, Professor Swan is back. A really fantastic performance, Professor. The entire class really enjoyed it." With that, the students started clapping.

Cindy was lying through her teeth, so I figured that this 'performance' deal was what she had come up with to explain my sudden disappearance.

I went with it, even doing a little bow as I walked to the front of the lecture hall. I met Cindy at the desk.

"Thank you so much Cindy, really, I just had to get out of here."

"That's alright Bella. How did I do though?" She smiled widely, back to her regular bubbly self.

I smiled back, although I was completely numb on the inside.

"Spectacular Cindy. You'll make a fantastic teacher."

She grinned and bounced to her small desk in the corner. I watched her go, wishing I could be as happy as she was all the time. I turned back to the class, ready to continue. She had left a red flag where she had left off in the lesson, and I went on from there.

**

* * *

**

I quickly swerved around the traffic on my way back to my apartment. Checking my make-up in the mirror, I noticed that I'd forgotten to bring the box of things I'd hurriedly packed this afternoon. I cringed at the memory, still seething mad.

To get my mind off the general events of the day, I turned to thinking about how I was going to get out of Alaska fast. It was all just as well that I'd left the box in my office. I couldn't leave for months, not with that stupid contract I'd signed. I sighed, thinking about how much of a wasted opportunity this was. Anyway, I'd decided to leave the writing of my resignation letter until the weekend. I didn't want to upset Cindy and I also needed to start looking for jobs in Russia or something.

A red car in the next lane honked at me as I darted in front of it. I chuckled a little, but then my eye caught on the sign directing visitors to the massive local park.

That's definitely what I needed right now; a good hunt.

* * *

**APOV**

I growled as I tried in vain to drag Edward towards the stuccoed apartment building.

"Oh my god Edward. You need to see her, after that cryptic comment she made." I said, avoiding looking at his eyes.

I'd made that mistake on the drive over here. It was the first time I'd actually seen anything but blank deadness in them since she left. Still, I wished he'd continued on with his emotionless eyes, because now they just looked like bottomless golden pits of agony.

"Alice—" He dug in his heels even more. "I can't do this, please. Just let me go."

I turned around in the car park to face him fully. "Edward, I can't stand seeing you like this anymore. You need some closure, find out why she left, and then maybe you can get over her."

He scoffed, like I knew he would. Still, he turned towards me, a look of defeat on his features.

I gently pulled his hand once more, and this time he followed.

"Room 4A, right?" He asked.

* * *

**BPOV **

It was dark when I got back to my apartment building. The white stucco on the walls was gently lit by outdoor lights, but I stayed in the shadows as I walked from my parking space to the lobby.

As I passed the visitor parking spots, I stopped dead in my tracks. An unmistakable yellow Porsche was parked directly in the glow coming from the warm foyer, just outside the main doors. They were here, and 

knowing them, they weren't just waiting in the lobby for me. Undoubtedly, they'd found a way into my apartment.

I growled with frustration, angry that those two awful people had managed to rid me of my hunting calm twice in one day.

I dragged my feet on my way up to my apartment, nodding dumbly to the doorman and leaning against the elevator walls as soon as the doors shut. I absentmindedly pressed the '4' button and succumbed to the rage that was building within me.

By the time I reached my floor, I was nearly spitting with anger.

As I guessed, they weren't waiting for me to come home before they went. How did they even find out where I lived anyway? Furthermore, who the hell did these people think they were?

* * *

**EPOV**

I gently ran my hand over the many certificates of graduation that were propped up in shining wooden picture frames on a bookshelf in her apartment. There was no dust anywhere, I noticed. I looked around the apartment for something else to distract me, but there were absolutely no other personal objects around the room. It was like there wasn't even a real person living in this apartment, like it was just for show or something.

Don't get me wrong, the apartment was beautiful, decked out with quality furniture and stunning wall colours. Of what I could see of the obviously unnessecary kitchen, I could tell that she had acquired some money somehow, because there were marble countertops and top-of-the-line cookware. Everything I could see shone with quality, but there was nothing at all that reminded me of the old her. It didn't seem like she lived here at all.

In fact, both Alice and I suspected that this was true the minute we jimmied the lock and entered her apartment. We thought we'd got the wrong apartment. We checked the door number and turned back to the spacious flat. The main thought running through both our heads was _'This is not like Bella at all.'_

The moment I thought her name, the pain came back full force. She looked so beautiful today, not a day over nineteen, just like when I saw her last. She was beautiful back then, but now her beauty was more pronounced, and much colder. Icy even.

Her eyes were changed the most, the golden colour I saw every time I looked at one of my family members. I wondered who changed her, and when. '_Maybe that's why she and Jacob broke up.'_

I winced and turned to look out the window. Just being here, in her apartment, smelling that wonderful scent, was ripping a wider gash of agony throughout my body. I was about to tell Alice that I had to leave when I heard the key turn in the lock of her front door.

I looked at Alice, calmly sitting on the couch in front of the TV, then looked at the door again. '_This is it,'_ I thought, and braced myself.

* * *

**APOV **

She wasn't surprised to see us there, in her apartment, which I found odd. What didn't shock me was the look of rage that contorted her features. I'd be mad too if someone broke into my apartment and was just chilling there when I got home.

I hadn't been able to see her reaction in a vision though, although I had been trying all afternoon. Every time I made an attempt, it was like something was blocking me. And that made me distinctly uncomfortable.

We just stared at each other for a few moments. It was so strange to see her, after so long. We'd all been making an effort to just forget her, for Edward's sake.

I cleared my throat. "You have a beautiful flat here, Bella. I really like the colour scheme you picked out." She just glared at me coldly.

Before things could get any more awkward though, Bella started talking. "I don't really see what gives you the right to break into my apartment, but after you tell me how you found out where I live, I'd really appreciate it if both of you left."

She said it in quite a rational voice, but both Edward and I could see that she was a mere inch from tearing both our faces off.

I glanced quickly at Edward, but his jaw was clenched so tight that I assumed that he wanted me to do the explaining.

"We went and talked to the Board Office. We said that we were your cousins and that you were feeling unwell and we needed to take you home. Unfortunately, you were 'asleep' and we didn't know where your new apartment was. They gave us your address from their files right away."

I paused, and Bella opened her mouth, probably to tell us to get the hell out. "But Bella, please, before you kick us out, can the _three_ of us," I said, glaring pointedly at Edward, "just talk? There seems to be a misunderstanding of sorts. We promise we will leave you completely alone after if you want us too."

Again, Bella surprised me by nodding without any suspicions. She slowly sat down across from me in a huge armchair without a word. I glared once more at Edward, and he sat down beside me on the couch.

I squirmed a little in my seat. Finally we were going to get to the bottom of this whole situation, and I was damn excited.

* * *

**BPOV**

I avoided looking at Edward completely, and focused on Alice the moment I opened the door to my apartment.

She tried to make small talk, but I was in no mood for that at all. After she finally told me how they got my address (a curse on Martha, the secretary at the office), she invited me to talk. The only reason I agreed was because she promised they'd leave and never bother me again if I did. I could see no lies in her words.

As I sat down, I watched Alice wiggle a little on my couch. She always was so enthusiastic about everything, obviously including a potentially painful, long overdue conversation with a girl her entire family completely deserted. What a gal.

I waited for her questions. Somehow I got a feeling that Edward wasn't too eager to speak with me. I can imagine; it must be awkward to talk to a girl you'd dumped without actually telling her about the dumping.

I shut off the bitter thoughts that were raging through my head and refocused on Alice, who was evidently gearing up for the onslaught.

I sighed, and took a deep breath. Unfortunately, I inhaled some of his heavenly scent, and embarrassingly, almost moaned, closing my eyes. The hole in my chest stretched excruciatingly wider.

'_Crap,'_ I thought. _'This is conversation is going to hurt.'_

* * *

**I couldn't resist a major cliff hanger, I'm sorry! But pinky swear, cross my heart and hope to die, all the truth will come out next chapter. **

**And again, I am so sorry about the MAJOR delay in updating. I will try my hardest to get the next chapter up today or tomorrow. Maybe some REVIEWS could SPEED things along. ;)**

**Coming up next: The truth comes out, dinner is served, and some more unexpected arrivals stir things up! **


	11. Chapter 11

_I said I would update soon, so I am updating soon. I take care of my peeps. ;) Also, I was threatened and called different variations of 'evil' and 'horrible', so I figured I should get about fixing my rep. Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed, or made my fic an alert, or threatened to Google my name, find out where I live, and be generally creepy. Or maybe that was just __**perpetual.marble**__. ;) Thanks again! Also, __we just hit 300 reviews__! Woo!_

_I can see this fic going for another good three or four chapters. Maybe more, we'll see what happens. _

_So this chapter, the truth really comes out, but will Bella be able to finally let the pain go?_

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**BPOV**

I sat back and waited. Alice was clearly trying to decide which question to ask me first. Occasionally Edward would glance at her and glower; I assumed she was thinking of asking me something that he wasn't comfortable with.

Minutes passed, and just as I was about to say something, Alice burst out with:

"I just can't decide! Tell us everything that you've done since we last saw you."

I hesitated. Did I really want them to know everything? I sighed, figuring that the more I agreed to her requests, the sooner I could get them out of here, and restart the long recovery process.

I sighed again and began. "You want the whole story? Alright, but I don't want any interruptions," I said, looking at Alice pointedly. She shrugged, and I continued. "Well, the last time I saw the two of you, it was a few days before..." I glanced at Edward, who was staring out the window. "Well, you know. Anyway, you and your family were 'hunting to prepare for all the humans,'" I said, using air quotations, ignoring their confused looks, "and I was left alone in Forks. I was taking a walk in the forest when I was attacked by a vampire, who then carried me closer to the boundary to Canada, and left me in a cave, after biting me of course. She thought I was dead, and didn't know that I knew who she was."

I paused. Edward was still looking out the window, but a nerve was twitching in his forehead. Alice though, had a strange look of sudden understanding on her face that worried me a little.

I began again, "Anyway, after writhing alone in agony for a few days, I began making my way back to Forks. On my way, I learned how to hunt, but I was still avoiding any place where humans might be. But of course, when I got back, the Cullen family had conveniently disappeared." I started speaking a little quicker, because Alice looked like she desperately wanted to interrupt. Edward, when I looked at him, was staring at me in something that looked like a mixture between happiness and intense anger. That confused me, but I kept talking. "So I, a heart-broken wreck, spent the next year or two hunting and controlling my instincts. From 

there, I started immersing myself once more into the human world, small towns and shopping malls, you know."

I stopped to take an unnecessary breath, which unfortunately gave Alice her opportunity.

"But Bella, you've got--" I cut her off with a warning glance. She humphed, pouting.

"After I was in control of the bloodlust, I began moving around northern Canada and certain places in Europe. For a while, I stayed in South America, during the rainy season. And then I came here to Alaska, got a job, which I now have to leave, and became... reacquainted with you two."

Alice sat back against the couch, considering the information, while Edward, as a I watched, fought a range of emotions that raced across his face, one after the other.

"Bella," said Alice. I turned to look at her.

"Before I say anything else, I have to remind you that you didn't tell us everything," she said, accusatorily.

I was confused, "Excuse me?" I questioned.

"What did you do immediately after you left Forks?" She said, although I had a feeling that you already knew.

I voiced my opinion. "You know about that then?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Edward, for the first time, looked directly at me. "Know about what?" For a moment, I couldn't speak; his eyes caused my throat to close with pain.

I looked away, shaking my head. "About Tanya."

Alice nodded smugly, but Edward still looked bemused. "That was you? You killed Tanya?" Everything was gone from his face but incredulity.

"I recognized her from your descriptions, and remembered her address from the... ah... wedding invitations." I stopped, looking at my hands.

"But wait..." Edward began. I looked up; he was looking out the window, rage on his features. "Tanya was the one who changed you?"

I nodded. Before I could speak out loud, Edward sprung to his feet, and began to pace the apartment. The absolute anger was there, even more prominent. He didn't speak, and I was completely confused. Why was he so upset? It's not like he cared about my soul anymore.

"But Bella," started Alice, interrupting my thoughts, "when did you meet up with Jacob? How could he stand your new vampire smell?"

Now I couldn't take anymore. I exploded, "What is all this about Jacob?! Of course I didn't spend any time with him after the change. The last news I heard of him was a wedding announcement in the Forks Daily paper, and then a similar ad when his wife gave birth to twins."

"Well, he was gone at the same time you were, and from the note you left, we assumed that the two of you had run off together." It was Alice speaking again; Edward was still pacing.

I couldn't even speak, I was so confused. "What? What note? I didn't leave anything behind in Forks other than my human life."

"The note-- Edward." I looked at him as Alice said his name.

"Edward, Tanya was always good at making people believe her, really good."

"I know Alice, god I know. I can't believe that we didn't even check our facts. We just left..." He trailed off and continued marking up my hardwood floors.

"I'm lost. What the hell are you talking about?" I was beginning to sense something awful was about to be said.

"Bella. We think that Tanya left notes for your father and us, in your handwriting, saying that you were leaving Forks with your true love," said Alice.

"Well, I was wondering why Charlie didn't have the entire American police force out looking for me, but I couldn't go to Forks to investigate, with all the humans around. Besides, how did you guys even get the note, if you had left Washington?"

"Bella, you don't understand. We left immediately after we got the note. We left because you were gone. Did you really believe all this time that we had deserted you?"

I suddenly felt like I was sitting underneath a waterfall, the roar in my ears was so powerful. "What? I don't-- I can't--... what?"

They weren't lying at all, and hadn't been all afternoon. They were telling the truth, they hadn't left me. They left because they thought I didn't want them, not the other way around.

I closed my eyes. My entire body felt strange, and tingly, like it was filling out again. The eternal icy hollowness was disappearing, and I felt like a fool.

Before I could say anything, I was pulled into a steel embrace; Alice. "Oh Bella, you wouldn't believe how happy I am to know that you aren't with that disgusting mutt."

I laughed, slowly coming out of dazed fog.

"I have one more question though," she said, still holding me in her arms. "If you weren't with the werewolf, why couldn't I see you in any of my visions?"

I pulled away, unsure if I wanted to reveal my talent, or talents. I shrugged. "It seems that when I became a vampire, my ability to block other's powers was enhanced, to block all vampires' talents. I can also tell when people are lying."

Alice didn't seem surprised. "You always were very intuitive... wow. This is a lot to take in, hey?"

I nodded slowly, realizing that I still hadn't looked to see Edward's reaction to everything.

I glanced upwards, only to find him sitting on the couch and staring right at me.

I stared back, losing myself in his golden eyes, for what seemed like hours, but was probably just seconds.

I was shaken out of my reverie by Alice, who had begun chattering away while I'd been focused on Edward.

"--And you have to come back with us to Russia, everyone will be so happy to see you. And Bella, we can go shopping together again! Oh, this is going to be fantastic!" She grinned, but her face fell when she looked at mine.

"What? What's the matter?" She asked.

"Alice, it's just, I have a job now, and..." I looked at Edward, "I don't know if everything can go back to way it was, just like that."

She looked extremely disappointed, but immediately brightened. "Well, tell us your decision on Friday then. There's a get together at Denali, and I'm inviting you."

I was completely shocked. I'd totally forgotten about that mysterious Carmen and the dinner. "Actually, I've already been invited, by Carmen."

Alice squealed, and quickly hugged me again.

"Okay, well, we should go now. Carmen is expecting us tonight also, and we're probably already late." Alice spoke quickly as she stood up, dragging Edward with her. On her way to the door, she turned and said slyly, "Of course, we'll see you on Thursday for class, Professor Swan. By the way, I loved your 'sexy teacher' look today. Very nice," she said, winking.

Edward shook his head, still looking to be in shock, but I saw him give me a quick once-over. I knew that if I could have blushed, I would have.

Alice opened the door, and her hand still on Edward's shoulder, began pushing him down the hallway.

"Bye Bella," she called, flipping open her phone and dialling someone's number. She instantly began chattering away informally, so I assumed that it was one of the Cullens.

Edward didn't say anything, but when they reached the elevator, he turned around and stared at me as the doors closed.

Again, as our eyes connected, I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, just like every other time today.

I stood in my doorway in the same position for a long time, until one of my neighbours down the hall opened her door and began making her way towards the elevator, looking at me curiously.

"Are you alright dear?" She asked kindly.

"Yes, Mrs. Cunningham, I'm fine thank you. Have a nice evening," I said, managing a half smile as I turned back into my apartment.

"You too Bella dear, you too." I waved a little as I closed the door, and then leaned against the reassuringly stable wood. My mind was an absolute mess.

Everything had happened so fast, and Alice had switched into best friends mode quicker than you can say 'vampire baseball game'.

I was glad that they had left though. I had a lot of thinking to do. And what about Edward? I still loved him, so much that it hurts me now to know that he is out there and may still want me, and I'm not there with him.

The key word was 'may'. It had been a long time; did he even love me anymore?

I sighed, running my cold hand through my hair.

I walked absentmindedly around my apartment, my mind still reeling. I ended up in the bathroom, and for the first time in an extremely long time, I examined my vampire face. My golden eyes looked like a tornado, wheeling and winding with emotion. I had to admit though, I looked very different than the first time I saw my vampire face.

There was no sick, haunted look. Just a confused girl that had gone through such a huge emotional range in one day that she couldn't even think straight

I took a deep breath and looked away from the mirror. I started the bath and rummaged through the bathroom cabinet for some bath salts. Baths are always a great place to think.

And I had a lot of thinking to do.

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**So that was all definitely from Bella's point of view, but do not fret my loyal subjects! We'll hear Edward's thoughts soon enough. As in next chapter. And there's still the party to consider, and of course, the visitors. **

**All of that stuff will come much sooner if you just REVIEW! So do it now, for the good of us all. **

**Really though, I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter, because it was really hard for me to write.**

**Until next time/ chapter, I bid you adieu. **


	12. Chapter 12

_I'm glad that everyone liked that chapter, but I know that you all wanted to see how Edward was faring after all the news. Well, wishes granted! Here we go, from Edward's POV._

_Also, thanks to everyone that reviewed! For the reviews, I tried to make this chapter super long, so it's my longest yet. Enjoy!_

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**

EPOV

I jumped a little as Alice waved a hand in front of my face.

"Hello?" she asked. "Anyone in there?" She giggled as she settled back in her chair.

I shook my head out a little and focused, for the first time in half an hour or so, on the two vampires sitting across from me on the green suede couch at Denali. Alice had a smile that was so big it looked like it was going to break her face, but Carmen looked a little worried.

"Are you alright, dear?" She asked, searching my face for an answer.

"Yes, Carmen, I'm fine, thank you. Actually, I think I need a bit of fresh air. Would you ladies mind excusing me? I think I'm going to walk back to the house." I stood up and headed for the door. "Thank you very much for having me, Carmen."

"It was a pleasure, Edward. You'll be here on Friday?" I nodded, and headed into the cool night air.

My mind was racing, emerging from the fog it had been under since we found out the truth.

'_Bella is here, in Alaska. Bella didn't leave me for the mutt. Bella thought I'd left her_.' I cringed a little at that, as I made my way into the park surrounding Denali. I relaxed a little as I was enveloped by the forest. Leaves crunched under my foot as I continued walking.

'_God, Bella must have suffered. I can't believe she thought I'd left her again. And Tanya, that awful... awful... bitch. What a bitch.'_

The more I thought about Bella, thought about the years since we were separated, the angrier I became at myself for not speaking to her when I had the chance, in her apartment. I stopped in the middle of the forest. An owl called a few meters behind me, and I heard a small mouse scamper through the underbrush. I was roughly an equal distance from the Cullen Alaska house and Bella's apartment. I could go to her now. It's not like she'd be asleep or anything.

I nodded and made my decision.

**

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**

BPOV

I sat up in the bath to drain it and add more hot water. I'd been in there for over an hour, and didn't have any plans to get out soon.

While the bath was refilling, I grabbed a handful of rose petals that I kept near the tub and a bottle of bubble bath, and emptied both into the newly hot bath. I leaned back against the side of the tub and turned off the tap with my foot. I smiled at my talent as I settled back, my head on a towel so I wouldn't get a stiff neck.

I had done my hair up in a high bun so it wouldn't get wet, but with the steam rising from the water, sections had fallen down into wavy ringlets.

I laughed. It wasn't like anyone was going to see me tonight.

I closed my eyes and let the new hot water relax me. I hadn't really gotten around to thinking about the events of the last few hours. I kept getting distracted.

Mostly, Cindy called me twice, once to see if I was coming to work the next day and again to see if I'd be there on Friday. I said yes to both, but she kept chatting on about her sister and how glad she was that she did well with the class earlier today. I made random noises of agreement as she prattled on, and then said that I should probably get to sleep. She sighed but agreed, and said she'd see me the next day.

That was about ten minutes before I refilled the tub, and I knew that I really needed to start thinking about things.

My mind went first to Edward, and how unresponsive he was. He barely said anything at all when they were over. Had he found someone new? My heart lanced with pain with the thought, and I winced. I continued wondering about Edward for a long time, which led to me thinking about our time together in Forks. I hadn't let myself think about that since my change, and I'd forgotten how much I really, truly, missed Edward with all my heart.

I started thinking about our meadow, and how much fun we had together, how right everything felt.

Still, the happy memories were making me depressed, so I refocused on the deliciousness of my bath.

"Mmmmm," I sighed, smiling a little. I kept smiling until I heard a tiny cough from the doorway.

My eyes flew open, and I stood up, grabbed my towel, and whipped it around me with what was possibly the fastest vampire speed the world had seen.

"Edward!" I screeched. "What the hell!"

**

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**

EPOV- A few minutes earlier

I growled a little as I walked away from the lobby, but not loud enough for the doorman to hear me. He was still watching me suspiciously, peering at me through the windows of the double glass doors. He followed my progress through the parking lot, as I thought he would. I immersed myself in the shadows of the forest that bordered the car park, and waited until he turned away from the window to begin my approach once more.

He hadn't let me in, saying that apartment owners had to come down and get their visitors past 10 PM.

That was alright though, because I had a backup plan.

All apartment buildings had fire escapes correct? I just had to make sure that I found the right one that would take me to Bella's flat.

It took me a couple of minutes, but I started climbing, certain that I'd found the right one. '_Apartment 4A, apartment 4A,'_ I repeated to myself as I ascended the many ladders. When I finally climbed to her floor, I expected the window to be locked, but it was actually wide open, and her curtains were blowing in the 

arctic breeze. I began planning to chastise her, because she would catch a cold, until I realized that she couldn't become ill anymore.

I shook my head a little as I stuck a leg through the window, silently. When I stood up in her bedroom, it was dark and empty. The only light was coming from down the hall. _'She must be watching TV in the living room or something,' _I thought.

I padded to her bedroom doorway and slowly down the hall, trying to keep as quiet as I could. I didn't want to scare her or anything. I was just about to pass the door way to her bathroom when I realized it was open.

I then made the mistake of looking inside the bathroom, which contained a very naked and very wet Bella in the tub.

I could do nothing but stare for what seemed like ages. I then realized that I was being a perverted voyeur and decided I should let her know that I was here.

I coughed a little, and was immediately assaulted by a screech.

"Edward!" She yelled. "What the hell! What are you doing here?!"

She was standing in the tub with nothing but a tiny towel covering her.

I couldn't really think of a good answer to her question at that moment.

**

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BPOV

I walked into the living room where Edward was waiting for me, and I was thankfully completely clothed again.

He was sitting in the exact same spot as he was when he was here earlier, except this time he wasn't staring into space but examining my stereo system from a distance.

"That have a nice sound?" He asked, turning to look at me when I entered the room.

I nodded absentmindedly, wondering why the hell he was focusing on the stereo system during a time like this.

I sat down across from him in my favourite armchair.

"I'm going to ask you one more time Edward. What the hell are you doing here? How did you jimmy the lock again?"

He looked a little sheepish. "I didn't come in through the door. Roger wouldn't let me up."

He stopped speaking. I waited, and then asked in exasperation: "Well, are you going to tell me how you got in?"

"Oh, right. Through the window, which was wide open by the way."

I nodded, "I like a little breeze to go through the flat. Now, are you going to tell me why you came here and watched me while I was taking a bath?"

I knew that if I could have blushed right then, I would have. What an awkward moment.

"I didn't come here to watch you have a bath, if that's what you're implying. I came to talk to you, but you were otherwise occupied," he said with a little smile.

I threw my hands up. "Well at least you're amused by this whole situation, but I most certainly am not."

"Oh come on Bella, you have to admit, it is kind of funny." He looked at me expectantly, but I just glared stonily back.

"Okay, fine, you don't think it's funny, I get it."

We both settled into silence for a moment. I took the time to examine Edward. Everything about him was the same, except for his eyes. His eyes looked... older, and wilder.

Still, he had that boyish air around him, leaning forward, with his elbows planted on his knees. I looked to his face again, to see him staring at mine.

I almost lost myself in his gaze when I was startled by my phone ringing.

Edward groaned, and I looked at him strangely as I stood up to walk to the phone. "Don't worry; it's probably just my teacher's aide, Cindy again."

He laughed. "No, it's definitely not Cindy." I looked at him as I picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella? Hey, it's Alice. Is Edward there?"

"Oh hey Alice," I said, shooting a glance at Edward again, who now had his head in his hands, "Yes, he's here. Would you like to talk to him?"

"Oh no, that's fine, I just needed to know where he was so I could find him and well, kill him."

"Couldn't you just _see_ where he is all the time?"

"Not when he's with you Bella dearest, remember? But I didn't know if he was with you or being torn to pieces by a werewolf or something."

I laughed a little, "Well, he's alright, but was just a little rude, sneaking in my flat without telling me."

"That boy... Just tell him that I'm at the house now, would you please?"

"Right. I'll see you tomorrow Alice."

"Goodbye Bella!"

We both hung up, and I turned to look at Edward. "So Alice has gotten a lot more protective then?" I asked, smiling.

He looked up from his hands, surprised to see me smiling. "Well yeah, since..."

We both looked away from each other. I went to sit down across from him again.

"Bella," he began, "We need to talk. Where do we go from here? I-- I still... well, you know."

Actually, I didn't know at all. "What? You what?"

He looked pained. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath.

"Bella. I still love you, I never stopped. You were, are, and always will be my everything. If you don't feel the same way, just tell me, so I can leave you alone."

He looked at me pleadingly.

I was absolutely thunderstruck. I was about to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming, until I realized that I of course couldn't dream anymore.

Everything was so fast, whirling around me faster than I could keep up.

'_Wait!_ _He still loves me! Oh my god!'_

My eyes whipped to his face. He wasn't lying. He still loved me. '_Oh my god.'_

"Oh my god. I-- I-- I love you too Edward." I paused, to look at his face; he looked like he was slowly comprehending things also; his features moved from pain to complete ecstasy. He was about to say something, but I cut him off. "But I don't know if we can just go back to how things were. Let's take things easy, okay?"

He stood up quickly, and swept me into his arms, laughing. "Of course, anything you want!" He began swinging me in a circle, then set me down and turned to run to my bedroom.

"I've got to go talk to Alice, Bella!" He said over his shoulder, leaving me standing in a daze in my living room.

It was only seconds until he was standing in front of me again.

"I forgot something," he said softly, taking a step closer towards me, the breathless enthusiasm gone from his voice.

"Edward--" But I was cut off, with his lips pressed to mine. At first I was frozen, but then I went wild, throwing my arms around his neck and winding my fingers into his bronze hair.

He purred, and grabbed my legs, wrapping them around his waist.

He started walking again in the direction of the bedroom, but I was oblivious. I was so happy; everything felt so right now, like I was finally coming back into the light after 25 years in the darkness.

We were in my bedroom before I knew it, but Edward slowly dropped me on the bed, and pulled away. I groaned and looked at him with questions in my eyes. I was so ready for this!

He placed his hand on my face and smoothed out the frown in my brow. "Taking it slow, remember?" He whispered softly in my ear. And then he was gone, out the window.

'_Wow.' _I flopped back on the bed. _'What a day.'_

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SQUEAL! :) Everything is perfect and happy now, right? Edward and Bella are back together, everything is good. Oh no, oh no no no my devoted readers! You've got it wrong. Someone's coming to upset the perfect picture. Who could it be? And why are they coming?

**REVIEW TO FIND OUT! Please though, I really love reviews!**

**Oh, and kudos to _bitten'n'smitten_ for totally predicting where the story was going to go. Well done! :)**


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